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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28624230">Coming back from the storm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cat_es_val/pseuds/cat_es_val'>cat_es_val</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Torchwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:34:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28624230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cat_es_val/pseuds/cat_es_val</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Torchwood three finds more than just alien technology in the aftermath of The Battle of Canary Wharf. They find a semi-converted Ianto Jones.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Torchwood Fan Fests: The Year That Never Was Fest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Coming back from the storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This idea came to my brain on Tuesday, and it's perfect for The Year That Never Was Fest. I don't know if I am within the deadline, but I am posting it anyways. </p><p>This was not beta read. </p><p>I don't know how graphic I will be about violence, but I included the warning just in case.</p><p>This will touch on the following prompts from the fest: survival, grief, healing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Torchwood One and Torchwood Three had never been on very good terms. Jack and Yvonne would talk sometimes, and collaborate if necessary, but if it was possible to avoid contact, both were all the happier. They didn’t agree with each other: Torchwood One retained some of the original values of the institution, while Jack’s management of Torchwood Three totally diverged from that of their founder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nevertheless, Jack sprung to action as soon as he heard about what was happening. He, Suzie, and Owen quickly packed the SUV and drove to London. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They drove as quickly as they could but arrived once the battle was over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>UNIT officials were already at the scene when they stepped through the doors of Torchwood Tower. They gave Jack a list of the deceased, where the name Rose Tyler was written along with Yvonne Hartman and thousands of others he didn’t recognize. He tried to keep his composure. He had a team to lead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s start making an inventory of the lower levels. That’s where their archives and laboratories were,” Jack told Owen and Suzie as he led them to the elevator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This was a massacre,” Owen said grimly as the elevator descended, looking at the mess around them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daleks and cybermen. It couldn’t have been any other way,” Jack remained silent for a few seconds. “The building is supposed to be clear, but we will stick together. It will be less efficient, but safer, in case anything happens.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They went into all the rooms underground. Jack used his wrist strap to first scan closed rooms and then open the doors. Suzie wrote down all the technology they would take with them to Cardiff. They would have to pack it and transport it later, but they were trying to at least leave everything in one room now. It took them a few hours to clear that floor, and Jack decided they would continue the next day with the upper levels, which should contain less alien technology than the current one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> They took the elevator to the main level of the tower after 9 pm. Only a few UNIT guards remained, looking out for the place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you hear that?” Suzie asked as they got out of the elevator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Owen asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shhh!” Suzie exclaimed, and they listened intently. A faint sound could be heard, coming from upstairs. It was impossible to discern what was making the sound, but it was there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll check it out,” Jack said but gestured for Suzie and Owen to wait. He turned to the UNIT guards. “Hey! Did you notice that sound before?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hadn’t noticed, sir.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me neither, sir.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Keep your positions. We’ll check it out. Be prepared to answer if we call,” Jack ordered. The soldiers squared themselves, accepting Jack’s orders, and Jack, Suzie, and Owen made their way to the elevator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The upper floor was dark and empty, but the sound was louder. Low moaning and the clank of metal against the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t sound like steps but like someone tapping or rasping the ground weakly. Jack turned a small torch on and walked ahead of Suzie and Owen, signaling for them to stay behind and remain silent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked through a normal-looking office space. Computer screens and papers were strewn all over the ground, chairs and desks broken. Jack followed the sound, and as they got closer it was clear that there was someone there. Probably in pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” Jack called hesitantly. He got some more tapping and moaning as an answer. Jack followed the sound further, and illuminated their path with the torch, pointing it under desks and behind big potted plants as they made their way through the ruins of the office. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they found themselves in front of a new row of desks they saw a flash produced by the torchlight hitting on something reflective. Jack ran toward it, and stopped dead on his tracks, making Suzie collide with his back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” she asked, as Jack took several steps back, making her and Owen do the same. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A cyberman,” Jack replied, not even trying to hide the apprehension in his voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? But his voice doesn’t sound like the voice of the others,” Owen protested. They had seen some footage of the cybermen roaming the streets of London during their trip from Cardiff. He was angry. “He sounds human, and in pain. Do cybermen moan in pain?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not that I know of, but they are smart, and they adapt. We can’t be too safe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can’t leave him here either way,” Suzie said. “If he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>a cyberman, he is a danger. If he isn’t, we can help him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Suzie’s right,” Owen said, taking a step closer to the figure laying on the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay”, Jack said, stopping Owen and pointing his torch to the figure. They saw a metal arm, fingers twitching, tapping the floor. Jack moved the torch to light the rest of the figure, and they saw a human face. A young man with brown hair matted with blood in some places, parted lips moaning, eyes closed, and a pained expression on his face that was covered in dried blood. Jack swallowed. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>What did they do to you?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jack, we have to help him,” Owen urged, trying to move forward once again, still stopped by Jack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cybermen are some of the most dangerous creatures in the universe. We can’t let there be even one, or the deaths of all these people will be for nothing,” he said without raising his voice, but anger clear on his tone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For Christ’s sake, he looks human!” Owen yelled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was exposed to the conversion process!”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least let me examine him,” Owen said, trying to calm himself. “You can do whatever you think is best at the first sign of danger.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you think?” Jack asked Suzie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am with Owen. Let him examine the poor sod. I’ll shoot at the first sign of danger,” Suzie replied, readying her gun as she spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Jack conceded, cocking his gun and pointing it to the figure laying on the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Owen approached the man carefully. He had stopped moving and moaning. He was laying on his stomach, his head looking to the right side. His left arm was metal, but the right arm was still flesh and bone. The shoulder was punctured and dislocated as if something had tried to yank it free from the body. There was dried blood all over his shoulder, and some bruises were starting to appear, peeking out beneath a torn shirt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Owen checked for a pulse in the wrist of the right arm. It was faint, but it was there. The man was cold, and there was blood all over him. He had metal over his legs and part of his torso too, but his right side was more exposed. His head didn't have any metal pieces attached, but the right side was bloody and bruised. Owen checked his eyes and discovered that the right eyeball was missing. The left one was in place and responded normally to the light of the torch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“His eye is responsive”, Owen informed the other two. “He is unconscious now”, he added. “He doesn’t seem dangerous. Jack, please, let me take him with us and examine him”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We still have to deal with the alien technology that has been left behind”, Jack said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can ask UNIT for some space on their base”, Suzie said. “Owen can examine him and we can continue with our inventory.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. That sounds good. Keep UNIT soldiers with you at all times,” Jack said, giving a stern look to Owen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, whatever,” Owen replied dismissively.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll call UNIT and ask for a medical team to come help you,” Jack said, and took his phone out, one hand keeping his gun pointed at the man on the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Several minutes later two UNIT paramedics arrived with a stretcher and helped Owen take the man to an ambulance waiting outside. Jack and Suzie went with them, instructing the two soldiers that accompanied the paramedics to keep their guard up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were taken to a medical facility at the nearest UNIT base. It was well equipped, and Owen was told to ask for anything additional he may consider necessary. Jack and Suzie left to get some food while Owen stayed to start his examination. He was accompanied by two UNIT nurses and two UNIT soldiers, all equipped with guns in case their patient became violent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man was still unconscious, however, kept down by pain, trauma, and the painkillers they had administered in the ambulance. There were some remnants of clothes fused to skin and metal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Owen started by cleaning the blood and debris off the man’s body. He asked the UNIT nurses to help him so they would finish sooner. Once the body was clean, he proceeded to stitch some of the deeper cuts. When he was working on a cut near the right shoulder, the man stirred and opened his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi there,” Owen said, lifting his head to make eye contact with his patient. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He—hello”, the man answered with difficulty, coughing, in a very human voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name is Owen Harper, I’m a doctor. Please try not to move.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The patient remained still and Owen finished what he was doing before taking a step back and talking again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember your name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ianto Jones,” the man replied. “Where am I?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are in one of UNIT’s bases. Do you remember what happened?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… yes… We were attacked by the Cybermen. All of London. And then the Daleks arrived. They started fighting between them, and the Cybermen wanted to grow their army, so they started converting us… They—Lisa!! They took Lisa! I was trying to save her and they got me too!” Ianto sobbed and tried to move, but was stopped, either by pain or by the metal covering his body. Or maybe both, Owen wasn’t sure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Calm down. I’m sorry. I am very sorry, but you need to remain calm. You’re not in a good state,” Owen told him. Ianto continued to sob and call Lisa’s name but stopped trying to move. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Owen put away the equipment he had been using and approached Ianto again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your shoulder is out of place, I have to put it back.” The patient nodded in understanding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Owen got in position and put his hands in place. He looked at Ianto, counted to three, and pushed the shoulder back into place with a fast and firm movement. Ianto cried out in pain. Owen waited so the pain could fade and then immobilized Ianto’s arm with a sling.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What will happen to me?” Ianto asked after a few minutes of silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Owen replied. “I will examine you and see if there’s anything that can be done.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How bad does it look?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You lost your right eye," Owen replied upfront. Ianto tried to move his arm to feel it, but Owen stopped him before he could. "Your shoulder'll bother you for a while, but I don't really know what's going on under all that metal. Sorry, mate."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ianto remained silent. Owen didn’t know what to tell him, so he busied himself writing on Ianto’s medical file. After a few minutes, a soldier entered the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doctor Harper, Captain Harkness requests your presence in conference room alpha-three,” the soldier said. “I am here to escort you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Escort me? How official.” He snorted, looking at the soldier. “ I’ll be back later, Ianto,” he told his patient and left him with the UNIT personnel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jack and Suzie were in the conference room waiting for him with Chinese food containers on the table.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How is our patient?” Jack asked as Owen took a seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Apart from half of his body being covered in metal and just watching his co-workers get killed by aliens? Peachy,” Owen said darkly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Owen,” Tosh said, stifling a laugh at Owen’s attitude. Her voice emanated from a phone in the middle of the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Tosh,” Owen replied, opening a food container.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is he awake?” Jack asked, ignoring Owen’s answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. He’s conscious, he remembers his name. And he remembers what happened. He mentioned someone called Lisa. Said he tried to save her, and that’s when they got him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Has he shown signs of conversion beyond the physical aspect?” Suzie asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not for the moment. We haven’t done any tests yet. We just cleaned his wounds, stitched some ugly cuts, and put his shoulder back in place.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tomorrow Suzie and I will go back to the Tower to finish the inventory. We’ll go back to Cardiff the day after tomorrow,” Jack said. “Tosh, can you look for information about our patient? What’s his name?” Jack addressed the last question at Owen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ianto Jones,” he replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, I’ll see what I can find,” Tosh said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Owen, if you want to continue looking into Ianto Jones’ condition, you’ll have to stay here,” Jack said. “I am not risking taking a cyberman with us to the hub. You will have UNIT's support.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine. I’ll stay,” Owen replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great. So that’s settled,” Jack said, taking a big bite of food and proceeding to talk with his mouth full. “You have your instructions. Thank you, Toshiko. Bye!” Jack hung up the phone and continued to eat. “We’ll come to see you tomorrow for lunch after finishing up in the Tower,” Jack told Owen. “Hopefully we will know a bit more about Ianto Jones and his current condition by then.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They finished their food, and Jack and Suzie headed to their hotel while Owen went back to the medical bay to check on Ianto. He found him sleeping. With the help of the two nurses, they moved Ianto to a room where he could be slightly more comfortable and warm. He was still under close observation by two soldiers and nurses in case anything went awry. Owen reluctantly left for the hotel Jack had booked them, the image of the semi-converted young man seared into his mind. </span>
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